Beatrice Chebet gearing up for Italica International Cross Country meeting
.jpg)
Reading Time: 3min | Tue. 05.11.24. | 22:00
In Italy, Chebet will be in the company of 2024 World U20 3,000m steeplechase bronze medalist Diana Chepkemoi
Double Olympic champion Beatrice Chebet is leaving no stone unturned in preparing for the 42nd Italica International Cross Country meeting slated for Sunday 17 November.
The event is a highlight on the World Athletics Cross Country Tour Gold circuit which will leave Chebet keen to extend her winning streak after an impeccable season that saw her crowned a double Olympic champion.
At the start of the season, she competed in a series of cross-country races before going ahead to defend her World Cross Country title in Belgrade.
She went ahead to break the 10,000m world record in Eugene, where she qualified for her first Olympics. From that performance, she promised herself that she would not only compete but would target double-distance gold.
That came to pass during the Paris Olympics as she made history as the first Kenyan woman to win two gold medals at a single Olympic Games. She claimed the 5000m (14:28.56) and 10,000m (30:43.25) titles, asserting her authority as one of the greatest.
She became the second Kenyan woman to win the 5,000m event after Vivian Cheruiyot’s victory at the Rio 2016 Games.
In addition to her Paris triumphs, she set a meet record at the Brussels Diamond League and became the first woman in history to run under 29 minutes in the 10,000m.
She was also awarded the prestigious Golden Plate Award at an achievement dinner held in New York last month.
In Italy, Chebet will be in the company of 2024 World U20 3,000m steeplechase bronze medalist Diana Chepkemoi.
Chepkemoi too has been a force to be reckoned with this year. She started her season by claiming second place in the junior category of the Sirikwa Classic World Cross Country Tour gold where she finished in 20:12.
The former world junior cross country bronze medalist was hoping to improve her time during the World Cross Country Championships in Serbia but she failed to travel due to a visa hitch.
Despite the setback, she went ahead to claim the top honours in the International Schools Federation (ISF) World Cross Country Championships.
The youngster who trains at the Lemotit Training Camp under coach Paul Kemei will be keen to cause upset in Italy. 2018 World 3,000m steeplechase champion Daisy Jepkemei will also seek to prove her mettle.
The trio will face off against European 3,000m steeplechase record holder Alice Finot of France and the World U20 5,000m bronze medallist Charity Cherop of Uganda.
Sweden’s Sarah Lahti, Portugal’s Mariana Machado, and Spain’s Carolina Robles will add depth to the field.
In the men’s field, Olympic 10,000m silver medalist Berihu Aregawi from Ethiopia will lead the charge.
His main rivals will be the 2024 Rome Half Marathon champion Yemaneberhan Crippa of Italy as well as Ugandan’s Dan Kibet, Hosea Kiplangat, and Kenneth Kiprop.
Portugal’s Etson Barros, Uruguay’s Santiago Catrofe, and Spain’s Adel Mechaal add depth to the field.
.jpg)
